Return-reply envelop.



H.A. STEINKE. RETURN REPLII-:NVIELOPl APPLICATION FILED 1AN.-2 1915.

III@ Patented. July 131 1915.

mmm@ non ca m H "ML 2:2022

'RICHARD 120E. CO. apex/71e wn.

' thereby in both HENRY A. STEINKE, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

RETURN-REPLY ENVELQP.

Specification of Leittersflatent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed January 2, 1915. Serial No. 161.

T0 all/whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. STEINKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have lnvented certain n'eW and useful Improvements in Return-Reply Envelops, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in envelops of the return addressed type wherein initial sealing flaps and addressed return flaps are embodied in the original structure of the envelop blank so that When the sealing flap is broken on a folded line, and the contents of the envelop removed, the return addressed flap will be accessible for withdrawal from the interior of the envelop to be sealed to the body of the latter for the return of the reply.

It is a special feature of the invention to embody in this type of envelop an address disclosing portion so as to avoid addressing the envelop when the original letter is sent from the sender to the receiver, the device of my invention serving to conceal the address disclosing portion when the receiver returns the envelop to the Voriginal sender, cases avoiding the necessity of addressing the envelop. In envelops of this character the return addressed flap is initially disposed interiorly of the envelop and frequently interferes with insertion and withdrawal of the contents of the envelop when the latter is received from the sender. Now in the present invention, a novel feature has been developed whereby the return addressed flap will beremovably held in flat abuttingrelation with one of the body portions of the envelop so as not to in any way interfere with insertion of the contents into the envelop by the original sender, or Withdrawal ofthe contents of the envelop by the original receiver.

A further and novel feature of the invention resides in the incorporation of the foregoing features in an envelop which may be formed of a one-piece blank, the only stock being added for the purpose of providing the addressed return Hap.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying'drawing, and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claim.

In the drawing :-Figure 1 is a view of thewenvelop bl 4nk showing the same unfolol ed and flat. Fig. 2 illustrates the addressed return flap `removably held beneath the wings of the back iap. Fig. 3 is a front vieW of the envelop after the front flap has been folded upon and sealed to the wings and illustrating the sealing flap unfolded or flat. Fig. 4 is a rear View of the envelop, with respect to Fig. 3, showing the flap sealed and ready to be forwarded from the original sender to the receiver. Fig. 5

'is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the envelop as it would appear after the original receiver `had broken the sealing flap. Fig. 6 is a sectional View showing the disposition of the addressed return flap as it'would appear after the contents had been removed by the original receiver. Fig. 7 is a View showing the Vaddressed return flap withdrawn andV sealed over the face of the envelop so as to conceal the address disclosing portion of the front flap.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing'. As illustrated, the'envelop is formed from a one-piece blank which is divided to pro-l vide front and back flaps 1 and 2, respectively, whichtogether form thebody of the envelop. 'Ihe back flap 2 is shown provided with relatively short wings 3, on its ends, and on its free margin the backliap 2 is provided with Vareturn addressed flap 4. The front flap 1 is equipped with a transparent addressdisclosing portion 5 and is also provided with an initial sealing flap 6. The dotted fold lines clearly indicate the lines of fold of the several flaps. The addressed return iiap is provided with ablank. corner card 7 in addition tothe address 8 of the initial sender. 'Ihe front flap l is4 provided with a filled in corner card 9 which indicates the name of the original sender of the envelop.

In making up the envelop fully for sale as stock goods, the 'wings 3 are folded inwardly upon the back flap 2, as indicated in Fig'. 2, and the addressed return Hap 4 is previously folded into fiat relation against the back flap 2. This addressed flap 4 is of suiicient length so that its end margins will lie beneath the wings 3 so that the addressed flap 4 will be held by the Wings 3 in flat relation against the back flap 2. The length of the addressed' flap 4 is such as to cause the lower margin thereof to extend downwardly abreast of and approximately below 3 lWhen the front flap 1 is folded into the position shown in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen f vthat the addressed fiap4is merely frictionally held in position between the back iap 2 and the Wings 3. The envelop, as shown in Fig. 3, is now ready for sale, and when in the hands of the sender yis ready for the contents to be insertedso that the address on the letter will be disclosed through the disclosing portion 5. The sealing flap 6 is not yet sealed but is gummed so as to be sealed against the outside face of the back flap 2, as shown in Fig. 4. When the initial receiver receives the envelop, he Will' tear the sealing Hap on the line indicated by the legend designated at 11, the remainder of the sealing flap 6 being carried by the back Hap 2. The contents Will be `removed andthe envelop will assume they appearanceshown in section in Fig. 6. Now -When the initial receiver prepares his reply, he will irst Withdraw the addressed flap 4 from the interior of the envelop. This will be greatly facilitated .dressed lap 4 is merely loosely held by the wings 3 in the position shown in Fig. 2.

he contents Will be placed i'n the envelopl and the addressed flap 4 upon thefront flap 1. In the most preferred construction, and especially where the envelop-is provided With a disclosing Will then be sealed l`portion 5, I desirably make the addressed Hap 4 ofs uchdimensions that it will cover the disclosing portion 5 so that any matter on the letter will not be accidentally readable through the disclosing portion 5. The

by reason of the fact Athat the ad? printed address on the addressed flap 4, as indicated at 12, will avoid the necessity of addressing the envelop and the blank corner card 7 may be filled in as shown in Fig. 7. By reason of the fact that the addressed Hap 4 covers the stamp 13, originally applied by the original sender, a stamp 14 may be applied to the addressed flap 4 Without ne cessitating removal of the original stamp or causing any mailing confusion.

It is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and While I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not'Wish to be limited thereto Jexcept for such limitations as the claim may import.

I claim In a return reply envelop, front and back flaps forming an envelop body, said front flap having an address disclosing portion and an initial sealing Hap adapted to be rsealed against the outside face of the back lap, said back flap having Wings adapted toy be sealed to the inside face of said frontap vand said back flap having a return addressed HENRY A. STEINKE.'A

Witnesses:

" H. E. SMITH,

EDNA BRoYLEs.

Wings and said back Hap at 

